Will They Like Me?

June 10, 2008

Every time I sit down to write, I want to start with “It’s almost time to go.” I’ve been sitting around feeling like life is on hold until I get out to meet my lions. When you live a lifestyle like mine, you are always about to leave. Sometimes in days and sometimes in months, but you are always about to leave. Not that I’m complaining, but at times that feeling overwhelms you and makes it impossible to do any of the usual things that one might do. There is no need to buy that bookshelf to put your books away or hang those paintings; it’s pointless to date someone that you see a future with, because in the end you are leaving.

The thing that I find most interesting about my preparations to go is the mental relationship I feel like I have with a pride of lions that I don’t even know. I know all the stats — i.e., I know how big they are, how many male and female, where they live, and so on — but I don’t know them. So every day I wonder what each one will be like and worry if they are going to like me. It feels almost like I am in the second grade and am changing schools.

I guess it’s odd, but my largest responsibility to prepare for this project is to be ready for an attack. I spend hours every day in the gym working out to fight off an attack. I spend hours a day planning for the “what if” scenarios, but my biggest hope is that I am accepted and liked.

Comments

[ming quach]

Dave,you need to look at the big picture! Do you realize your ignorance is endangering lions? While you are filming this tastless show of yours, you are never in "real" danger are you? Try being out there with lions ALONE! Now, thats a film worth watching! What you are doing is playing games with lions for t.v. which will and maybe already has gotten lions killed. I know a little about film making, editing, cut scenes, bloopers etc, You only show what you want the people to see.How many times were you almost cat-chow, and they had to shoot the lion? not with the camera? my advise to you, leave the LIONS ALONE!You can't control nature, Who do you think you are? I no longer watch Animal Planet because of your selfish actions and stupidity. From Tacoma Washington ...Scott

[Cellulean Reviews]

It must be pretty cool to hang out with lions and get to observe how they live.

[scott quach]

Dave,you need to look at the big picture! Do you realize your ignorance is endangering lions? While you are filming this tastless show of yours, you are never in "real" danger are you? Try being out there with lions ALONE! Now, thats a film worth watching! What you are doing is playing games with lions for t.v. which will and maybe already has gotten lions killed. I know a little about film making, editing, cut scenes, bloopers etc, You only show what you want the people to see.How many times were you almost cat-chow, and they had to shoot the lion? not with the camera? my advise to you, leave the LIONS ALONE!You can't control nature, Who do you think you are? I no longer watch Animal Planet because of your selfish actions and stupidity. From Tacoma Washington ...Scott

[Naty]

Dave, I hope that you are safe and that indeed you are accepted and liked by this lion pride, especially because doing so not only saves you but also them.